Harry Potter Potions

The Harry Potter series turned 20 years old this year (I feel old!), and my library decided it was only appropriate to have a week of Harry Potter activities. One of my programs was a Harry Potter Potions Class. I opted to split this class into two different sessions. I wanted a k5-3rd grade session and a 4-6th grade session. This allowed me to do very simple “potions” with my younger crowd and harder “potions” with my older crowd.

For each session, I found different science experiments that would work with the Harry Potter theme. I assigned each experiment a potion name to give it a more authentic feel.

Potions Class: K5-3 Grade

Introduction

I had two statements to make before we started our class.

The kids must listen to me. I would not give new items to the students who messed up their experiments because they were not following directions.

It was OK if their experiment failed. the potions did not always work in Harry Potter either.

Flobberworms: (15 minutes)

This was a very easy experiment to conduct. I would recommend soaking the gummy worms in the baking soda mixtures before your program.

I did have a volunteer pre-cut my gummy worms before the program. We tried a knife. Horrible. Scissors worked better to get thinner gummy worms.

The kids enjoyed watching their worms move. We added more baking soda to get them to shake. You can also coat the gummy worms in baking soda.

I wanted to provide the opportunity for the kids to experiment with their own ingredients instead of me dictating how much of each item to pour into their cups. I also spiced up the original list by adding alka-setlzer tablets. This added a more authentic feel to the draught of sickness.

I felt it was only appropriate for me to demonstrate a more a difficult potion for the kids. Dry ice will always get some kind of reactions from the kids. The kids are also always up for kool-aid! Bonus tip: Run the dry ice over a metal handle to make a mandrake scream.

Potions Class: 4-6 Grade

The kids must listen to me. I would not give new items to the students who messed up their experiments because they were not following directions.

It was OK if their experiment failed. the potions did not always work in Harry Potter either.

Beautification Potion(15 minutes)

I was unable to do a test run of this potion before the class. Citric acid is a bit more expensive, and I wanted my one bottle to last longer. To really make sure I had enough ingredients for my kids, I had my volunteer premix the citric acid and baking soda. We then walked around and doled out the portions. I was unable to get any pictures of this experiment, since I was helping the kids with their dough.

This was the overall favorite for the kids. We did have some mishaps (A kid got some vinegar in his eye. Another group dropped their bag of vinegar all over their seats…). However, once we got outside, the kids went wild. They would go to each bag and watch it explode.